[Taxacom] Long-distance oceanic dispersal (rafting) of Nothofagus species

John Grehan calabar.john at gmail.com
Sun Jun 3 20:18:50 CDT 2018


Stephen,

While there is no direct geological evidence of connection to any other
landmass (in the form of a land bridge) the region has supported large
igneous plateaus that would have supported a terrestrial biota, some of
which could have been stranded on the hotspot (and other hotspots such as
the Galapagos).

The  'discordant' character has no necessary significance. If a continent
is drowned other than for ephemeral volcanoes then you would expect that
result, for example (not saying this for Hawaii).

If you read Heads on Hawaii I would be happy to respond to any specific
points you raise.

John Grehan

On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 9:13 PM, Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>
wrote:

> I don't know all the details, but the basic idea surely takes into
> account:
> (1) The geological history of the islands (were they ever connected to
> another landmass in a possible vicariant relationship?)
> (2) The biota as a whole is discordant with that of any other landmass,
> with many "gaps" and consequent radiation of a few lineages into the many
> "gaps", in exactly the way that would be expected from chance dispersal.
>
> Stephen
>
> --------------------------------------------
> On Mon, 4/6/18, John Grehan <calabar.john at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Long-distance oceanic dispersal (rafting) of
> Nothofagus species
>  To: "Stephen Thorpe" <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>
>  Cc: "Barry OConnor" <bmoc at umich.edu>, "taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu" <
> taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>  Received: Monday, 4 June, 2018, 1:00 PM
>
>  What is
>  the evidence?
>  John
>  Grehan
>  On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 8:59
>  PM, Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>
>  wrote:
>  Hawaii is
>  a classic example of a biota derived mainly (exclusively?)
>  by chance dispersal rather than vicariance, with consequent
>  radiation of lineages into unoccupied niches. Makes sense to
>  me!
>
>
>
>  Stephen
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------ --------------
>
>  On Mon, 4/6/18, John Grehan <calabar.john at gmail.com>
>  wrote:
>
>
>
>   Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Long-distance oceanic dispersal
>  (rafting) of Nothofagus species
>
>   To: "Stephen Thorpe" <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>
>
>   Cc: "Barry OConnor" <bmoc at umich.edu>,
>  "taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu"
>  <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>
>   Received: Monday, 4 June, 2018, 12:55 PM
>
>
>
>   Hawaii is
>
>   a classic example of what?
>
>   John Grehan
>
>   On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 8:53
>
>   PM, Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>
>
>   wrote:
>
>   Evidence
>
>   for long distance dispersal over vicariance must take
>  into
>
>   account entire biotas, not just selected taxa. Hawaii is
>  the
>
>   classic example.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>   Stephen
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>   ------------------------------ --------------
>
>
>
>   On Mon, 4/6/18, John Grehan
>
>   <calabar.john at gmail.com>
>
>   wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Long-distance oceanic
>  dispersal
>
>   (rafting) of    Nothofagus species
>
>
>
>    To: "Barry OConnor" <bmoc at umich.edu>
>
>
>
>    Cc: "taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu"
>
>   <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>
>
>
>    Received: Monday, 4 June, 2018, 12:49 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    Barry,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    An answer to your question requires a bit of a
>
>
>
>    clarification about
>
>
>
>    dispersal and its
>
>
>
>    relationship to biogeographic origin of allopatric
>  taxa
>
>
>
>    (which is what most biogeographic controversies
>
>
>
>    are about), although
>
>
>
>    probably best to read
>
>
>
>    discussion about that in a more structured account
>
>
>
>    such as you will find in Heads' books .
>
>
>
>    Dispersal as an ordinary ecological
>
>
>
>    process
>
>
>
>    is what we observe in real time. It results in
>  survival
>
>   of
>
>
>
>    the
>
>
>
>    species and may result in range
>
>
>
>    expansion under particular circumstances.
>
>
>
>    Differentiation of allopatric taxa requires
>
>
>
>    isolation. If dispersal is so
>
>
>
>    pervasive as
>
>
>
>    to preclude isolation then there cannot be allopatric
>
>
>
>    differentiation. This is the tangle that
>
>
>
>    emerges when dispersal is used as
>
>
>
>    the
>
>
>
>    mechanism to explain biogeographic patterns of
>  allopatry.
>
>   A
>
>
>
>    resolution
>
>
>
>    of this paradox is to view
>
>
>
>    dispersal as operative in establishing ancestral
>
>
>
>    range rather than creating isolated entities.
>
>
>
>    So seeing  *Anolis* lizard on
>
>
>
>    a raft of
>
>
>
>    hurricane debris just off a Caribbean island is
>
>   effectively
>
>
>
>    no
>
>
>
>    different from seeing any other organism
>
>
>
>    moving or moved about. It has
>
>
>
>    immediate
>
>
>
>    ecological significance (in terms of metapopulation
>
>   survival
>
>
>
>    for
>
>
>
>    example - again characterized in more
>
>
>
>    detail by Heads) but its
>
>
>
>    biogeographic role
>
>
>
>    cannot be assumed.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    John
>
>
>
>    Grehan
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    On Sun, Jun 3, 2018
>
>
>
>    at 7:28 PM, Barry OConnor <bmoc at umich.edu>
>
>
>
>    wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    > I'm curious
>
>
>
>    - what is *evidence* of chance dispersal other
>
>   than, say,
>
>
>
>    > seeing an *Anolis* lizard on a raft of
>
>
>
>    hurricane debris just
>
>   off a
>
>
>
>    > Caribbean
>
>
>
>    island? - Barry
>
>
>
>    >
>
>
>
>    > On
>
>
>
>    Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 7:08 PM, Kenneth Kinman <kinman at hotmail.com>
>
>
>
>    wrote:
>
>
>
>    >
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    John,
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>       Well, you tossing out such red herrings will not
>
>
>
>    dissuade me.
>
>
>
>    >> Including the
>
>
>
>    scientific one about frogs.  The two primitive frog
>
>
>
>    families
>
>
>
>    >> originated way back in the
>
>
>
>    Paleozoic when the world map was much different
>
>
>
>    >> (Gondwanaland still largely intact).
>
>
>
>    No long-distance dispersal
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    necessary.  Vicariance explains that case quite
>
>   nicely.
>
>
>
>    Nothofagus evolved
>
>
>
>    >> much later
>
>
>
>    (after the break up Gondwana), so I don't know
>  why
>
>   you
>
>
>
>    tossed
>
>
>
>    >> out that red herring.
>
>
>
>    And comparing my hypothesis to UFOs or an Act of
>
>
>
>    >> God could be interpreted as a bit
>
>
>
>    insulting.  And in your second post
>
>
>
>    >> saying that "Chance dispersal
>
>
>
>    continues to hold a very visceral appeal for
>
>
>
>    >> evolutionary biologists", seems
>
>
>
>    to indicate to me that many
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    panbiogeographers tend to overstate the importance of
>
>
>
>    vicariance and too
>
>
>
>    >> often either
>
>
>
>    ignore or attack evidence for chance dispersal when
>  it
>
>   is
>
>
>
>    >> presented.  I suspect that is what
>
>
>
>    will happen if any evidence is found to
>
>
>
>    >> support my hypothesis.  One thing is
>
>
>
>    certain---we won't find such evidence
>
>
>
>    >> if we don't look for it.
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>          -------------Ken
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> P.S.  Your latest comment about
>
>
>
>    "fairy tales" was a bit rude.  I don't
>
>
>
>    >> see why the explanation I put forward
>
>
>
>    and question I asked of Bart should
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    be characterized as fairy tales.
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    _____________________________ _ __
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    From: John Grehan <calabar.john at gmail.com>
>
>
>
>    >> Sent: Sunday, June 3, 2018 9:46 AM
>
>
>
>    >> To: Kenneth Kinman
>
>
>
>    >> Cc: Stephen Thorpe; taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
>
>
>
>    >> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Long-distance
>
>
>
>    oceanic dispersal (rafting) of
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    Nothofagus species
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> Ken,
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> Its not a testable notion in any real
>
>
>
>    sense any more than attributing the
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    connection to UFO's. Further, it is not an
>
>   'odd'
>
>
>
>    distribution, but one that
>
>
>
>    >> is very
>
>
>
>    even (meaning standard). One can invoke any number of
>
>
>
>    imaginary
>
>
>
>    >> events to toss plants and
>
>
>
>    animals from one side of the Tasman to the other,
>
>
>
>    >> or even just place them there by an
>
>
>
>    Act of God, but there is no empirical
>
>
>
>    >> imperative to do so for this any more
>
>
>
>    than imagining a tsunami to toss
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    frogs from Vancouver to New Zealand.
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> John
>
>
>
>    Grehan
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> On
>
>
>
>    Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 8:38 AM, Kenneth Kinman <kinman at hotmail.com
>
>
>
>    >> <mailto:kinman at hotmail.com>>
>
>
>
>    wrote:
>
>
>
>    >> Hi Stephen,
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>       But
>
>
>
>    it could be somewhat scientifically testable if some
>
>
>
>    organisms
>
>
>
>    >> (mostly likely insects)
>
>
>
>    have the same odd distribution in New Zealand and
>
>
>
>    >> Tasmania (or adjacent Australia).  So
>
>
>
>    I am hoping that some entomologist
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    might know of insects that fit the bill.  And if
>  there
>
>   were
>
>
>
>    more than one
>
>
>
>    >> such organism, the
>
>
>
>    more likely this dispersal scenario would become.
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    And note that I cited two different Nothofagus
>  species
>
>
>
>    groups with
>
>
>
>    >> the same odd
>
>
>
>    distribution (one in subgenus Lophozonia and the
>  other
>
>   in
>
>
>
>    >> subgenus Fuscospora).  And those two
>
>
>
>    dispersals could have happened at
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    different times.  So that already increases the
>
>   probability
>
>
>
>    of dispersal.
>
>
>
>    >> Anyway, at least Fred
>
>
>
>    understood what I was suggesting:
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/
>
>   pipermail/taxacom/2006- December/108388.html
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> -----------------Ken
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    _____________________________ _ __
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    From: Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz<
>
>   mailto:
>
>
>
>    >> stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>>
>
>
>
>    >> Sent: Saturday, June 2, 2018 8:59
>
>
>
>    PM
>
>
>
>    >> To: Kenneth Kinman
>
>
>
>    >> Cc: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu<
>
>   mailto:taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.
>
>   edu>
>
>
>
>    >> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Long-distance
>
>
>
>    oceanic dispersal (rafting) of
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    Nothofagus species
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> "Could certain insects, mosses,
>
>
>
>    or other organisms have hitched a ride on
>
>
>
>    >> such a Nothofagus raft?"
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> Impossible to
>
>
>
>    rule out just about anything that doesn't
>
>   constantly
>
>
>
>    >> require running freshwater. If it
>
>
>
>    happened during summer, there could be a
>
>
>
>    >> desiccating effect, but at other times
>
>
>
>    the amount of freshwater dampness
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    could remain at acceptable levels.
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> The problem
>
>
>
>    though, as I see it, is that these dispersion events
>
>   are
>
>
>
>    >> entirely random and unpredictable, so
>
>
>
>    it is hard to base much in the way of
>
>
>
>    >> science on it.
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >> Stephen
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    ----------------------------- - --------------
>
>
>
>    >> On Sun, 3/6/18, Kenneth Kinman <kinman at hotmail.com<mailto:kin
>
>
>
>    >> man at hotmail.com>>
>
>
>
>    wrote:
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    Subject: [Taxacom] Long-distance oceanic dispersal
>
>   (rafting)
>
>
>
>    of
>
>
>
>    >> Nothofagus      species
>
>
>
>    >>  To: "Kenneth Kinman"
>
>
>
>    <kinman at hotmail.com<mailto:ki n
>
>   man at hotmail.com>>
>
>
>
>    >>  Cc: "taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu<
>
>   mailto:taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.
>
>   edu>"
>
>
>
>    <
>
>
>
>    >> taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu<
>
>   mailto:taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.
>
>   edu>>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>  Received:
>
>
>
>    Sunday, 3 June, 2018, 1:51 PM
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>  Hi all,
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>  The recent thread got me thinking
>
>
>
>    about a debate that some
>
>
>
>    >>  of us
>
>
>
>    were having on taxacom almost 12 years ago.  Namely
>
>
>
>    >>  whether long-distance oceanic
>
>
>
>    dispersal (by rafting) was a
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    significant factor in the geographic distribution of
>
>   some
>
>
>
>    >>  species of Nothofagus (sensu
>
>
>
>    lato).
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    My hypothesis was that large rafts of dislodged
>
>
>
>    Nothofagus
>
>
>
>    >>  trees (due to tsunami
>
>
>
>    or other massive flooding event) could
>
>
>
>    >>  have held some of their fruit above
>
>
>
>    the ocean surface and
>
>
>
>    >>  rafted from
>
>
>
>    Tasmania to New Zealand, where one or more  new
>
>
>
>    >>  species could evolve (due to founder
>
>
>
>    effect).  This would
>
>
>
>    >>  be a
>
>
>
>    relatively short rafting event compared to the much
>
>
>
>    >>  longer driftwood oceanic rafting
>
>
>
>    that happened from South
>
>
>
>    >>  America
>
>
>
>    to Tasmania: Barber, 1959, in the journal Nature;
>
>
>
>    >>  "Transport of Driftwood from
>
>
>
>    South America to
>
>
>
>    >>  Tasmania".
>
>
>
>    Is there other evidence that such dispersal
>
>
>
>    >>  of Nothofagus could have happened?
>
>
>
>    Could certain insects,
>
>
>
>    >>  mosses, or
>
>
>
>    other organisms have hitched a ride on such a
>
>
>
>    >>  Nothofagus raft?
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>             --------------Ken Kinman
>
>
>
>    >>  http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/
>
>   pipermail/taxacom/2006- December/108385.html
>
>
>
>    >>
>
>
>
>    _____________________________ _ _________________
>
>
>
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>    >>
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>    >> Nurturing
>
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>
>    Nuance while Assaulting Ambiguity for 31 Some Years,
>
>
>
>    1987-2018.
>
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>
>    >>
>
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>    >
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>    >
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>    >
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>
>    >
>
>
>
>    --
>
>
>
>    > -So many mites, so little time!
>
>
>
>    > Barry M. OConnor
>
>
>
>    >
>
>
>
>    Professor  & Curator
>
>
>
>    > Department of
>
>
>
>    Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
>
>
>
>    >
>
>
>
>    Research Museums Center
>
>
>
>    > University of
>
>
>
>    Michigan                  phone:
>  734-763-4354
>
>
>
>    > 3600 Varsity Drive
>
>
>
>    >
>
>
>
>    <https://maps.google.com/?q=
>
>   3600+Varsity+Drive&entry= gmail&source=g>
>
>
>
>    >
>
>                     fax:
>
>
>
>    734-763-4080
>
>
>
>    > Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2228
>
>
>
>            e-mail: bmoc at umich.edu
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>    >
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>    _____________________________ _
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>    The Taxacom Archive back to 1992
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>   edu
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    Nurturing Nuance while
>
>
>
>    Assaulting Ambiguity for 31 Some Years, 1987-2018.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


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