Phylogeography of Pholidopterini: Revising molecular clock calibration by Mid-Aegean Trench

What is it about?

1- Climatic shifts through Miocene are important evolutionary drivers leading ecological speciation in pre-Tortonian East Mediterranean, contrary to the general wisdom that tempestuous geological history led frequent vicariance. _x000D_ 2- Pholidopterini is a lineage originated approximately 17 myr ago and its generic diversity occurred via three waves of radiation in Langhian, Serrevalian and Messinian._x000D_ 3- Total mutation rate in protein coding genes and the high rate of nonsynonymous mutations in NAD2 well accompany with three radiation waves of radiation in Miocene._x000D_ 4- The substitution rate may be lineage specific, but NAD2 exhibits the highest mutation rates._x000D_ 5- Tortonian transgression of Mid Aegean Trench is a reliable geographic calibration point in molecular clock analyses for lineage splitting between Crete and Anatolia, but requires caution for other Aegean islands.

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