Beyond the Last Glacial Maximum: Island endemism is best explained by long‐lasting archipelago configurations

Long-lasting archipelago configurations during the Pleistocene have had a stronger impact on single-island endemic species richness than short-term extreme conditions, such as those at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) or present-day. This finding challenges the assumption that only extreme sea-level fluctuations shape insular biodiversity. Researchers analyzed 53 volcanic oceanic islands across 12 global archipelagos, including the Revillagigedo Archipelago, using species richness data for land snails and angiosperms. By reconstructing archipelago configurations at various sea levels—present-day, intermediate (representative of the Pleistocene), and LGM—they found that intermediate configurations better explained single-island endemism patterns. This study underscores the importance of considering longer-term environmental stability in understanding ecological and evolutionary dynamics on islands.

Norder, S. J., Proios, K., Whittaker, R. J., Alonso, M. R., Borges, P. A. V., Borregaard, M. K., Cowie, R. H., Florens, F. B. V., de Frias Martins, A. M., Ibáñez, M., Kissling, W. D., de Nascimento, L., Otto, R., Parent, C. E., Rigal, F., Warren, B. H., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., van Loon, E. E., Triantis, K. A., & Rijsdijk, K. F. (2018). Beyond the Last Glacial Maximum: Island endemism is best explained by long‐lasting archipelago configurations. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 28(2), 184–197. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12835