Phylogenetic evidence clarifies the history of the extrusion of Indochina - PubMed
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Phylogenetic evidence clarifies the history of the extrusion of Indochina
Xiao-Qian Li et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024.
Abstract
The southeastward extrusion of Indochina along the Ailao Shan-Red River shear zone (ARSZ) is one of two of the most prominent consequences of the India-Asia collision. This plate-scale extrusion has greatly changed Southeast Asian topography and drainage patterns and effected regional climate and biotic evolution. However, little is known about how Indochina was extruded toward the southeast over time. Here, we sampled 42 plant and animal clades (together encompassing 1,721 species) that are distributed across the ARSZ and are not expected to disperse across long distances. We first assess the possible role of climate on driving the phylogenetic separations observed across the ARSZ. We then investigate the temporal dynamics of the extrusion of Indochina through a multitaxon analysis. We show that the lineage divergences across the ARSZ were most likely associated with the Indochinese extrusion rather than climatic events. The lineage divergences began at ~53 Ma and increased sharply ~35 Ma, with two peaks at ~19 Ma and ~7 Ma, and one valley at ~13 Ma. Our results suggest a two-phase model for the extrusion of Indochina, and in each phase, the extrusion was subject to periods of acceleration and decrease, in agreement with the changes of the India-Asia convergence rate and angle from the early Eocene to the late Miocene. This study highlights that a multitaxon analysis can illuminate the timing of subtle historical events that may be difficult for geological data to pinpoint and can be used to explore other tectonic events.
Keywords: Asia; Cenozoic; India–Asia collision; biogeography; tectonics.
Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.
Figures

Topographic map of the study area and the timing of the initiation and duration of the extrusion of Indochina. Timing (in Ma) was inferred from integrating geothermochronology, magnetostratigraphy, biostratigraphy-constrained sediments, and structure data. The numbers in brackets represent references, which are shown in
SI Appendix, Table S1in detail. The pink line denotes the ARSZ. The light blue dots denote stations from which data were used to estimate the extrusion of Indochina along the ARSZ. Inset images show representatives of the selected plants and animals distributed across the ARSZ (clockwise from the Top: Quasipaa, Nesticella, Berchemia, Cycas, Lycodon, and Stegnogramma).

Co-occurring patterns of lineage divergence events and niche differentiation across the 24 selected clades. (A) Frequency of co-occurrence between lineage divergence events and niche divergences based on six climate variables. (B) Frequency of co-occurrence between lineage divergence events and niche divergences based on three climate variable categories. (C) Frequency of co-occurrence between lineage divergence events and niche shifts based on six climate variables. (D) Frequency of co-occurrence between lineage divergence events and niche shifts based on three climate variable categories. Circles are individual co-occurrences, and dashed lines show mean values. For details of niche shifts, see
SI Appendix, Fig. S4. For details of niche divergences, see
SI Appendix, Fig. S5.

Timing and rates of the lineage divergences between the north and south ARSZ. (A) Divergence dynamics of the north and south lineages based on the maximum number of observed lineage divergence events (MDE) per My. Inset table shows the ages of origination and two peaks and one valley of lineage divergence (with 95% CI). (B) Divergence rates of the north and south ARSZ lineages based on 420,000 BSMs under the DEC model in BioGeoBEARS. The solid line indicates the mean values; the shaded region indicates the 95% CI. (C) India–Asia convergence rate and angle (clockwise deflection degree from north) compiled from Lee and Lawver (29) and Chung et al. (30). (D) Elevation changes of the Himalaya and India–Asia suture, Lhasa–Qiangtang suture valley, and eastern QTP modified from Ding et al. (4) and He et al. (31).

MDEs for different clades of organisms along the ARSZ.
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