Different groups of taxa exhibit varying degree of climatic niche conservatism or divergence due to evolutionary constraints imposed on taxa and distributional relationships among them. Herein, we explore to what extent regional environmental conditions that taxa occupy affect climatic niche overlap between pairs of congeneric species of Peromyscus mice exhibiting allopatric, parapatric, or sympatric distributions. We used Bayesian generalized linear mixed models to identify environmental variables that best explain differences in climatic niche overlap between species. Our results suggest that regional environmental conditions explain 13–44% of variation in climatic niche overlap. Specifically, allopatric and parapatric species pairs are more likely to occupy similar climatic niches in areas that are topographically less complex but with more complex habitats. Sympatric species are more likely to occupy similar climatic niches in areas that promote local niche partitioning (topographically less complex, warmer winter temperatures, higher precipitation, and higher habitat complexity on a local scale). By understanding the relationship between regional environmental conditions and niche overlap, we highlight how differences in geography can contribute to shaping niches of congeneric species.
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2 December 2021
Identifying regional environmental factors driving differences in climatic niche overlap in Peromyscus mice
Vanessa L. Russell,
M. Henry H. Stevens,
Addison A. Zeisler,
Tereza Jezkova
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Journal of Mammalogy
Vol. 103 • No. 1
February 2022
Vol. 103 • No. 1
February 2022
allopatric distribution
conservadurismo de nicho
Distribución alopátrica
distribución simpátrica
divergencia de nicho
niche conservatism
niche divergence