Table 2.
Examples of applications of molecularly-derived divergence dates.
| Investigations of: | Focus | References |
|---|---|---|
| Phylogeography | Lichenized fungi ancestral ranges | Amo de Paz et al., 2012 |
| Dispersal mechanisms | Transatlantic rafting by rodents; island-hopping reptiles; long-distance plant dispersal | Rowe et al., 2010; Davy et al., 2011; Nylinder et al., 2012 |
| Adaptive radiations | Repeated colonization and isolation of Hawaiian honeycreepers; lack of replicated adaptive radiations in Caribbean snakes | Lerner et al., 2011; Burbrink et al., 2012 |
| Diversification drivers | Marine hotspots of reef-associated fish | Alfaro et al., 2007 |
| Geological events | Peruvian Andes uplift (nematodes); emergence of New Caledonia (fig tree/wasps) | Picard et al., 2008; Cruaud et al., 2012 |
| Species associations | Acacia plants/ants mutualism; blood parasites/bats movements; host-switching of mammalian sucking lice | Gomez-Acevedo et al., 2010; Light et al., 2010; Hamilton et al., 2012 |
| Cryptic diversity | Species status of African forest duikers | Johnston and Anthony, 2012 |
| Speciation mechanisms | Accumulation of reproductive incompatibility in cichlid fish and waterfowl; self-sterility in flowering plants | Gonzalez et al., 2009; Stelkens et al., 2010; Ferrer and Good, 2012 |
| Key innovations | Antifreeze glycoproteins in Antarctic fishes; fleshy fruit; shift to xeric habitats in legumes | Egan and Crandall, 2008; Biffin et al., 2010; Near et al., 2012 |
| Trophic novelties | Multiple origins of novel feeding modes in reef fish | Cowman et al., 2009 |
| Conservation | Genetic endemism of threatened cloud forest biota | Francisco Ornelas et al., 2013 |
| Paleoecology | Dinosaurs as cycad dispersal agents; amphibious ancestry of echidnas | Phillips et al., 2009; Nagalingum et al., 2011 |
| Convergent evolution | Body plans of skates and rays; C4-specific enzymes in sedges | Besnard et al., 2009; Aschliman et al., 2012 |
| Diversity dynamics | Museum vs. evolutionary cradle models in butterflies | Condamine et al., 2012 |
| Chromosomal evolution | Karyotype origination in rodents | Castiglia et al., 2012 |
| Mass extinctions | Rise of mammals at the K-Pg boundary | Meredith et al., 2011; Springer et al., 2012 |