Linking endemism centres and diversification rates for conservation

Objective

During the last century, the loss of biodiversity associated with human activities has been increasing continuously. However, resources are limited, and conservation activities cannot protect everything. Typically, prioritization in conservation is related to areas of high species richness; however, the evolutionary history is often overlooked. In this context, the field of spatial phylogenetics aims to provide an objective way to preserve evolutionary history. In recent years, the Categorical Analysis of Neo- And Paleo-Endemism (CANAPE) is gaining attention from the scientific community, as it can detect areas of high concentration of range-restricted organisms (i.e., endemism centres), and categorizes them according to the branch lengths of those rare taxa (neo-endemism for short branch lengths of rare taxa, and pale-endemism for long branch lengths of rare taxa). However, there is still a lack of knowledge about how endemism centres are formed. It is suggested that neo-endemism centres are associated with high diversification rates, and paleo-endemism centres with low diversification rates. However, this correlation has never been tested, and the lack of relationship is possible, as endemism centres are calculated based on range-restricted organisms. The overarching aim of LinkED is to explore the relationship between endemism centres and diversification rates using the plant genus Cissus as a model study. This genus is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, showing a high diversity (c. 300 species), and it has a presence in areas with long (e.g., Africa) and short branches (e.g., Neotropics). The LinkED project will unveil the link between endemism centres and diversification rates using high-throughput sequencing techniques, biogeography, and macroevolutionary models, corroborating this pattern with other plant groups. These results will shed light on how endemism centres are formed and their importance for conservation.