Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 21 May 2004:
Vol. 304. no. 5674, pp. 1144 - 1147
DOI: 10.1126/science.1095210
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Wind as a Long-Distance Dispersal Vehicle in the Southern Hemisphere

Jesús Muñoz,1* Ángel M. Felicísimo,2 Francisco Cabezas,1 Ana R. Burgaz,3 Isabel Martínez4

Anisotropic (direction-dependent) long-distance dispersal (LDD) by wind has been invoked to explain the strong floristic affinities shared among landmasses in the Southern Hemisphere. Its contribution has not yet been systematically tested because of the previous lack of global data on winds. We used global winds coverage from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration SeaWinds scatterometer to test whether floristic similarities of Southern Hemisphere moss, liverwort, lichen, and pteridophyte floras conform better with (i) the anisotropic LDD hypothesis, which predicts that connection by "wind highways" increases floristic similarities, or (ii) a direction-independent LDD hypothesis, which predicts that floristic similarities among sites increase with geographic proximity. We found a stronger correlation of floristic similarities with wind connectivity than with geographic proximities, which supports the idea that wind is a dispersal vehicle for many organisms in the Southern Hemisphere.

1 Real Jardín Botánico, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain.
2 Escuela Politécnica, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain.
3 Departamento de Biología Vegetal I, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
4 Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jmunoz{at}ma-rjb.csic.es

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Genetic variation in the allotetraploid Dryopteris corleyi (Dryopteridaceae) and its diploid parental species in the Iberian Peninsula.
A. Jimenez, L. G. Quintanilla, S. Pajaron, and E. Pangua (2009)
Am. J. Botany 96, 1880-1886
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Origin and evolution of the northern hemisphere disjunction in the moss genus Homalothecium (Brachytheciaceae).
S. Huttunen, L. Hedenas, M. S. Ignatov, N. Devos, and A. Vanderpoorten (2008)
Am. J. Botany 95, 720-730
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A phylogenetic delimitation of the "Sphagnum subsecundum complex" (Sphagnaceae, Bryophyta).
A. J. Shaw, S. Boles, and B. Shaw (2008)
Am. J. Botany 95, 731-744
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Floristic Relationships Among Vegetation Types of New Zealand and the Southern Andes: Similarities and Biogeographic Implications.
C. Ezcurra, N. Baccala, and P. Wardle (2008)
Ann. Bot. 101, 1401-1412
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Evolution and biodiversity of Antarctic organisms: a molecular perspective.
A. D. Rogers (2007)
Phil Trans R Soc B 362, 2191-2214
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The biodiversity and ecology of Antarctic lakes: models for evolution.
J. Laybourn-Parry and D. A Pearce (2007)
Phil Trans R Soc B 362, 2273-2289
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Spatial and temporal variability across life's hierarchies in the terrestrial Antarctic.
S. L Chown and P. Convey (2007)
Phil Trans R Soc B 362, 2307-2331
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Long-Distance Dispersal of Plants.
R. Nathan (2006)
Science 313, 786-788
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Phylogenetic relationships and generic delimitation in subtribe Arctotidinae (Asteraceae: Arctotideae) inferred by DNA sequence data from ITS and five chloroplast regions.
R. J. McKenzie, E. M. Muller, A. K. W. Skinner, P. O. Karis, and N. P. Barker (2006)
Am. J. Botany 93, 1222-1235
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Southern Hemisphere Springtails: Could Any Have Survived Glaciation of Antarctica?.
M. I. Stevens, P. Greenslade, I. D. Hogg, and P. Sunnucks (2006)
Mol. Biol. Evol. 23, 874-882
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Morphological and Genetic Variation Indicate Cryptic Species Within Lamarck's Little Sea Star, Parvulastra (=Patiriella) exigua.
M. W. Hart, C. C. Keever, A. J. Dartnall, and M. Byrne (2006)
Biol. Bull. 210, 158-167
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)