Marsupial Migration and Speciation between New Guinea and Australia along the Torres Strait
Marsupial Migration and Speciation Between New Guinea and Australia along the Torres Strait
Abstract
The strait of Torres represents a submerged land bridge separating New Guinea and Australia that opens during periods of glaciation. The flow of genes and migrations occurring in this region during these periods are hypothesized to inhibit speciation in regions directly adjacent in the to strait of Torres. A comparison of four species, three endemic to New Guinea: Dasyurus spartacus, Planigale novaeguineae, Echymipera kalubu, and one endemic to Australia: Isoodon obesulus. Locally found on either side of the strait support limited speciation occurring in this region, in addition to other evidence. In addition to there are other factors influencing current species in this region.
Introduction
The Cape York Peninsula on the Australian side of the Torres Strait contains medium closed rain forests. It is bounded by uplands in the Southeast and uplands to the south and southwest that are much drier (Cracraft 1991). Cape York and the Atherton Plateau to the south east of this region share the greatest number of mammal species and in future studies would be a good region of comparison. However this region has a high degree of endemics associated with it so it is found to not be a great comparison for the Torres Strait fauna. During the Pleistocene the arid drying is thought to have led to the speciation in localized moist habitats at that time. There is a very close association of plants in the study region. Community wise the Cape York region and New Guinea region are the closest linked in Australia (Crisp 1994). Estimate of exposed land and rivers in the Indo-Australian show a much larger continental landmass of Australia and New Guinea (Voris 2000). This region parallels the floral similarity. Around 250,000 years ago a large river system existed dividing northern Australia from New Guinea. By 75,000 years ago a lake formed in the river system separating the
Abstract
The strait of Torres represents a submerged land bridge separating New Guinea and Australia that opens during periods of glaciation. The flow of genes and migrations occurring in this region during these periods are hypothesized to inhibit speciation in regions directly adjacent in the to strait of Torres. A comparison of four species, three endemic to New Guinea: Dasyurus spartacus, Planigale novaeguineae, Echymipera kalubu, and one endemic to Australia: Isoodon obesulus. Locally found on either side of the strait support limited speciation occurring in this region, in addition to other evidence. In addition to there are other factors influencing current species in this region.
Introduction
The Cape York Peninsula on the Australian side of the Torres Strait contains medium closed rain forests. It is bounded by uplands in the Southeast and uplands to the south and southwest that are much drier (Cracraft 1991). Cape York and the Atherton Plateau to the south east of this region share the greatest number of mammal species and in future studies would be a good region of comparison. However this region has a high degree of endemics associated with it so it is found to not be a great comparison for the Torres Strait fauna. During the Pleistocene the arid drying is thought to have led to the speciation in localized moist habitats at that time. There is a very close association of plants in the study region. Community wise the Cape York region and New Guinea region are the closest linked in Australia (Crisp 1994). Estimate of exposed land and rivers in the Indo-Australian show a much larger continental landmass of Australia and New Guinea (Voris 2000). This region parallels the floral similarity. Around 250,000 years ago a large river system existed dividing northern Australia from New Guinea. By 75,000 years ago a lake formed in the river system separating the
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