Papers by Tania Escalante
Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, Feb 6, 2018
The Nearctic region is located on the North American plate. However, its tectonic history is rela... more The Nearctic region is located on the North American plate. However, its tectonic history is related to convergence with other plates, which has promoted a complex topography. This complexity should be reflected by the distributional patterns of the biota. We used track analysis with 574 species of mammals to identify generalized tracks and panbiogeographic nodes in the Nearctic region and to propose an updated point of view of complex areas and their boundaries in North America. Seven generalized tracks with nested patterns (California, Columbia Plateau, Mesoamerican, Mexican Plateau, Neotropic, Southern Rocky Mountains, and Western Coast of USA) were identified using a parsimony analysis of endemicity with progressive character elimination. Nine panbiogeographic nodes were identified at the intersections of the generalized tracks, all of which were located in the Sierra of Chiapas and Central America physical features. A total of 192 nodes were identified for the nested patterns, located in only eight physical features. Our analysis revealed evolutionary patterns in generalized tracks, and the panbiogeographic nodes predicted areas with high evolutionary-geologic complexity, shared by other taxonomic groups.
Mastozoología neotropical, Jul 1, 2020
sintetizam a história evolutiva/ecológica das áreas. De acordo com a regionalização biogeográfica... more sintetizam a história evolutiva/ecológica das áreas. De acordo com a regionalização biogeográfica mais recente, a região neotropical é composta por três sub-regiões, duas zonas de transição, sete domínios e 54 províncias.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Aug 1, 2010
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Jan 3, 2020
This contribution provides the first integrative study of Cyamioidea, a group of bivalves largely... more This contribution provides the first integrative study of Cyamioidea, a group of bivalves largely neglected in the past. By combining information obtained from shell morphology, gross anatomy, histology, reproductive biology and DNA sequencing, the distinctive characters of Cyamioidea are determined, and the taxa belonging to this superfamily are revised. Gaimardioidea, previously considered as a distinct superfamily, is reduced to family level (Gaimardiidae), which, along with Cyamiidae, are assigned to Cyamioidea. All studied cyamioideans share a common reproductive character: the presence of a true follicular epithelium surrounding each developing oocyte, which persists after spawning, surrounding the developing embryos and participating in their anchorage to the gill filaments. Several morphological and anatomical characters support the distinction of Gaimardiidae and Cyamiidae. Based on that information, the placement of Gaimardia and Kidderia in Gaimardiidae, and that of Cyamiocardium, Cyamiomactra, Cyamium, Heteromactra, Pseudokelly, Ptychocardia and Reloncavia in Cyamiidae, is confirmed. Jukesena, historically placed in Veneroidea, is here allocated to Cyamiidae. Neoleptonidae, previously also attributed to Cyamioidea, are reallocated to Veneroidea.
Biological Journal of The Linnean Society, Dec 17, 2018
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Mar 21, 2023
The history and connections of the flora of south-central/southwestern (SC/SW) North America have... more The history and connections of the flora of south-central/southwestern (SC/SW) North America have been studied and summarized in biogeographic regionalization. However, some studies show contrasting delineations of the SC/SW North American provinces that could be better determined using quantitative methods. We aimed to find spatial patterns of a set of plants in the SC/SW United States by conducting endemicity analysis (EA) on different scales. We first built a dataset with 81,965 specimen point records of 400 species from 174 genera and 61 families of angiosperms and two genera of gymnosperms using digitized specimen data from iDigBio. We then performed EA at four different scales to identify the areas of endemism (AoEs). We obtained 28 AoEs with different cell sizes by selecting each AoE under the grid size that yielded the highest number of high-scoring species. The study region split into two significant centers of accumulation of nested or partially overlapping AoEs: the SW and SC consensus areas. In these parts of the Nearctic region, many genera/clades, among those in the dataset, showed a geographic split into western and eastern clades. The split corresponded to an environmental and physical barrier known as Cochise Filter Barrier. The Sonora-Mojave arid center, parts of South Texas, and the Chihuahuan Desert harbor basally branching taxa of several genera and even families, based on the observations of some species, which allowed identification of the AoEs.
Mastozoología Neotropical
sintetizam a história evolutiva/ecológica das áreas. De acordo com a regionalização biogeográfica... more sintetizam a história evolutiva/ecológica das áreas. De acordo com a regionalização biogeográfica mais recente, a região neotropical é composta por três sub-regiões, duas zonas de transição, sete domínios e 54 províncias.
Australian Systematic Botany
Fabaceae is a monophyletic family comprising more than 22 000 species worldwide. In Mexico, it is... more Fabaceae is a monophyletic family comprising more than 22 000 species worldwide. In Mexico, it is the second-most species rich family, inhabiting multiple ecosystems with a high diversity of life forms. Our aims were to (1) identify areas of endemism (AEs) by using endemicity analysis at different cell sizes (1°, 0.5° and 0.25°) for 488 Mexican legumes, (2) describe the climatic and topographic heterogeneity of AE, (3) determine whether there is a positive relationship between AEs and climatic and topographic heterogeneity and (4) examine the conservation status of legumes that defined the AEs. We found six general AEs, supported by 63 species, with endemicity index values ranging from 2.05 to 6.86. These general areas had zones where biogeographical provinces intersected and exhibited a higher environmental heterogeneity. Areas detected at 1° showed a positive relationship between endemicity index and environmental heterogeneity. Legume species currently lack legal protection in Me...
FIGURE 7. Relationship between entropy indices (a) climate and (b) biomes of each area of endemism.
FIGURE 4. Entropy (Shannon) index of biomes for the areas of endemism of mammals.
FIGURE 5. Relationship between number of endemic taxa, (a) climate and (b) biomes of each area of... more FIGURE 5. Relationship between number of endemic taxa, (a) climate and (b) biomes of each area of endemism.
Since the 19th century, two regions have been recognized for North American mammals, which overla... more Since the 19th century, two regions have been recognized for North American mammals, which overlap in Mexico. The Nearctic region corresponds to the northern areas and the Neotropical region to the southern ones. There are no recent regionalizations for these regions under the criterion of endemism. We integrate herein two methods to regionalize North America, using species distribution models of mammals: Endemicity Analysis (EA) and Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE). EA was used to obtain areas of endemism and PAE to hierarchize them. We found 76 consensus areas from 329 sets, classified in 146 cladograms, and the strict consensus cladogram shows a basal polytomy with 14 areas and 16 clades. The final regionalization recognizes two regions (Nearctic and Neotropical) and a transition zone (Mexican Transition Zone), six subregions (Canadian, Alleghanian, Californian-Rocky Mountain, Pacific Central America, Mexican Gulf-Central America and Central America), two dominions (Californian and Rocky Mountain) and 23 provinces. Our analysis show that North America is probably more complex than previously assumed
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2016
archipelago configuration of landmasses in this part of the Carpathians. This might suggest the e... more archipelago configuration of landmasses in this part of the Carpathians. This might suggest the existence of older migration barriers that emerged throughout the Neogene Period. Differences in the spatial patterns outlined by PAE and BEA could stem from partial sympatry of endemics caused by post-speciation processes such as dispersal or extinction. Additionally, sympatric distribution of taxa with disjunct populations may be caused by the absence of divergence among segregated populations, such as the patterns of relict distributions seen in alpine plants. Finally, the complementary use of these methods may prove to be an efficient approach for better understanding the geographical structure of endemism and provide a starting point for further testing of hypotheses on evolutionary processes.
All biological systems are diverse. This means that the parts that compose them vary in their num... more All biological systems are diverse. This means that the parts that compose them vary in their number and quantity. Biological diversity or biodiversity refers to this variety of life, at different levels of organization. Thus, individuals of a particular species show differences in the ...
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Papers by Tania Escalante
The broad scope and range of biogeographic investigation continues to be evident in volume 8 of Biogeografía, and begins with the two Lead Articles. Techni-cal advances in methodology, especially computer aided algorithms, can some-times have a mesmerizing hold on our imagination and it is all too tempting to find a solution at the click of a mouse. But as Robert Anderson points out for the study of ecology and distribution, it is not just a matter of ‘click, click, click! The second lead article by Ignacio Ferro also explores conceptual and methodological issues, this time in reference to the concept of biogeographic affinity and different ways this may be understood with respect to geography and topography, particularly with ref-erence to the identification of transition from one biogeographic affinity to another.
Biogeography may often seem like an esoteric academic subject, but it can have potential or even actual influence on our stewardship of the planet. The practi-cal considerations for this goal are, however, quite daunting as outlined by Tania Escalante and Ricardo Morales who emphasize the need to continue developing both the methodology and theory of biogeography to improve practical approaches to conserving biodiversity. And perhaps equally challenging is to understand the ‘foot print’ of the geological past on the present as López-Almirall reflects in his arti-cle on the origens of the Neotropical flora.
The final two articles concern SEBA. Tania Escalante and José Carlos Guer-rero reviewed SEBA membership, noting that the council now has representatives of almost all continents, and that a survey supported transforming the Bulletin to open access journal – a goal that would rely on active participation and commitment of all members. Journals succeed by their content and willingness of people to review arti-cles. One aspect of biogeography that is still largely absent from the literature is the personal experience of biogeography – which individuals work on and what excites them in their work and their actual experiences with places and the study of animals and plants. Personal experiences may seem personally mundane, but to everyone else they can be a new window into the world. We hope to see more of this kind of input in the future. And it seems all the more appropriate that this volume of the Bulle-tin concludes with a review of the second SEBA meeting by César Miguel Talonia that again highlights the diversity of biogeographic thinking, and also raises some ex-tremely critical pragmatic questions such as the biogeographic impacts of climate change. We look forward to seeing more of this diversity continue in the Bulletin or its successor journal.
John Grehan
Tania Escalante
Elkin Noguera-Urbano
César Miguel-Talonia
Editors, SEBA Bulletin, 2015