Hyderabad’s scientists unravel Asia’s biodiversity mystery

A CCMB study published in Ecology Letters reveals how species evolved and disappeared across Asia. By analysing 33 animal and plant groups, researchers found stable ecosystems in peninsular India supported biodiversity, despite massive geo-climatic changes over millions of years

Hyderabad: A recent study by researchers from Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), published in Ecology Letters, has, for the first time, uncovered how species of life forms evolved and disappeared across South Asia and the wider Asian region.

By analysing 33 well-studied groups of animals and plants using mathematical models, the team traced patterns of species formation (speciation) and loss (extinction) across the region. Such a broad-scale analysis has been done for Asia for the first time.

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“Each of the groups comprises closely related endemic species, and a common ancestor that existed at some point in time. Through millions of years, their descendants spread across the landscape and diversified into multiple species, many of which exist today,” explains senior scientist from CCMB Dr Jahnavi Joshi.

The researchers found a high disparity in how species are formed or lost across groups of animals and plants. They found evolutionarily related groups, such as different kinds of lizards, exhibited similar rates of forming and losing species. They also noted that half of the animal and plant groups accumulated diversity gradually over millions of years.

“The stability of the tropical forest ecosystems in peninsular India has allowed for such steady diversification. As a result, this area has served as refuges, shielding species from severe climate changes,” commented Dr Joshi.

The stability of this ecosystem is surprising given the turbulent geo-climatic past of the landmass.

“Peninsular India was once part of the Gondwanaland supercontinent with land masses such as Africa and Australia. It broke away around 100 million years ago, drifted northward, and eventually collided with Asia, forming the Himalayas. Despite drastic geo-climatic shifts from this movement, the biodiversity in this region has changed rather steadily,” added Pragyadeep Roy, the first author of the study.