What is it about?
This work is about how changes in sea level drive changes in coastal habitat, which mediates the genetic connectivity of populations living in those habitats. We also find certain geologic processes that limit continental shelf width lead to more isolated habitat and genetically divergent populations over time.
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Why is it important?
Mechanisms driving speciation and genetic diversity in the marine realm are still poorly understood. This Work outlines sea-level change as a new mechanism that has likely operated over the history of life on Earth. Furthermore, it illustrates a top-down physical control on biological evolution through an interdisciplinary scientific approach.
Perspectives
The Earth evolves just like the species living on it. I think this work shows how dynamic this coevolution can be.
Greer Dolby
Arizona State University Charles Trumbull Hayden Library
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: How sea-level change mediates genetic divergence in coastal species across regions with varying tectonic and sediment processes, Molecular Ecology, January 2018, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/mec.14487.
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Resources
How changes in sea level and geography affect genetics of coastal marine life
UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability summarizes recent work on sea-level change and evolution of coastal fishes.
Sea level and genetic diversification
A video animation showing how sea-level change can diversify coastal species.
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
