Systematics and biogeography of the Goblin Spider genus Ischnothyreus (Oonopidae) in the Australian wet tropics bioregion

Karen Edward

    Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis

    433 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    [Truncated abstract] Tropical biomes, particularly the Wet Tropics Bioregion of northern Queensland, are considered to be major hotspots of biodiversity. Recent research strongly suggests that historical climatic fluctuations and the persistence of rainforest refugia have been influential in shaping current patterns of genetic diversity and speciation in the Wet Tropics. Repeated cycles of population contraction, extinction, range expansion, and long-term persistence within refugia have shaped modern communities. Previous research has predominantly focused on widespread vertebrate taxa, revealing population genetic affects without subsequent phenotypic diversification. In contrast, studies of short-range taxa (flightless insects, non-ballooning spiders, and land snails), with their limited dispersal abilities and specific habitat requirements, may reveal idiosyncratic patterns and fine-scale biogeographic information that may otherwise be obscured using more mobile taxa. However, organisms which exhibit these characteristics have been largely neglected in Wet Tropics research.
    Original languageEnglish
    QualificationDoctor of Philosophy
    Publication statusUnpublished - 2011

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