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Rowan J. Schley @rschley.bsky.social · Apr 1

Check out our new paper led by the amazing @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social in @science.org, exploring how the extraordinary diversity of Asian rattan palms was assembled 🌴

benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 13

1️⃣ 🌍 Fresh out in #Science! The Asian tropics are among the most biodiverse places on Earth, but where does all that diversity come from? 🤔🔍 We used 🌴 phylogenomics and 🦴 new fossils to unravel the roles of different regions in generating and distributing species! 🌱 #Evolution

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 18

🔓 Delighted to now also add a free-access link to the paper: www.science.org/stoken/autho...

Island geography drives evolution of rattan palms in tropical Asian rainforests

Distributed across two continents and thousands of islands, the Asian tropics are among the most species-rich areas on Earth. The origins of this diversity, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we...

www.science.org

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 18

Our latest research in @science.org
explores how island geography 🌏🏝️ shaped the evolution of rattan palms 🌿🌴 in tropical Asia.

🔓 Read the paper using this free-access link: science.org/stoken/autho...

#Biodiversity #Evolution #Biogeography

benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 14

We got this corrected to avoid any further confusion or disappointment! Original post down, and a new post up with "DNA" in the right place.

Reposted

Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · Mar 14

Using 90-million-year-old pollen fossils and DNA from a vast collection of global herbarium specimens, @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social has been able to map the spread of rattan palms across Asia, and understand the drivers that led to their astonishing diversity 🌴🏝️

👉 www.kew.org/read-and-wat...

A figure from a paper shows a DNA tree of palms in Asia - each part of the tree is colour coded to the area of Asia that those families are found. There are also pictures of two species of large palm, and pollen fossils both ancient and modern

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 14

Haha, sorry for this blip in comms! The 90-million-year-old pollen was indeed just used for dating - still very exciting, but getting DNA out if would have been mind-blowing. 😆

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Reposted

Kew Gardens @rbgkew.bsky.social · Mar 14

Hungry for direct access to the Science? Check out the new publication in @science.org 👇
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Island geography drives evolution of rattan palms in tropical Asian rainforests

Distributed across two continents and thousands of islands, the Asian tropics are among the most species-rich areas on Earth. The origins of this diversity, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we...

www.science.org

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 14

Smart thinking, but also a bit shocking to have to consider this! The original paper doesn't contain "diversity": www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Although it does have "evolution" in it...!

Island geography drives evolution of rattan palms in tropical Asian rainforests

Distributed across two continents and thousands of islands, the Asian tropics are among the most species-rich areas on Earth. The origins of this diversity, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we...

www.science.org

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 14

📚 Read this great commentary on our latest paper on the Origins of Asian rainforest diversity in #Science 🌏✨ here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🌴🔎

@rbgkew.bsky.social @science.org

Reading palms to characterize islands

Rattan palms illuminate the drivers of biodiversity in tropical Asia

www.science.org

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 14

🌿 Read the background story of our latest paper on the Origins of Asian rainforest diversity in #Science here🌏📖: kew.org/read-and-wat... 🌴🔬

@rbgkew.bsky.social

Rattan palms and the origins of tropical Asian rainforest diversity

How we combined newly discovered fossils and DNA from global palm collections to understand more about the evolution of one of the most species-rich places on Earth

kew.org

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 13

@rbgkew.bsky.social @science.org @biology.ox.ac.uk

benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 13

📖 Read more here: (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...)

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 13

5️⃣ Why does this matter? 🤔 The unique island geography of the Asian tropics 🌏 helps drive its incredible biodiversity. Understanding these patterns is key to conservation and understanding the origins of life on Earth! 🧬🌱 #Ecology #Conservation

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 13

4️⃣ In brief:
🔥 Radiators generate and distribute diversity.
🐣 Incubators produce diversity in isolation.
🔗 Corridors connect neighboring regions.
🗂️ Accumulators acquire diversity generated elsewhere.

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 13

3️⃣ 🏝️🇮🇩 The islands Java, Maluku & Sumatra act as Corridors, 🔗 connecting species across the region. Meanwhile, 🦘 Australia, 🇮🇳 India, 🇵🇭 the Philippines are Accumulators, collecting diversity from elsewhere! 🌿 #IslandBiogeography

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 13

2️⃣ 🔥 The 🏝️ island Borneo is a Radiator—it generates diversity and spreads it around! 🌿 Meanwhile, 🌏 Southeast Asia and the 🏝️ islands New Guinea & Sulawesi are 🥚 Incubators, evolving new species in isolation. #TropicalBiology

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benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social · Mar 13

1️⃣ 🌍 Fresh out in #Science! The Asian tropics are among the most biodiverse places on Earth, but where does all that diversity come from? 🤔🔍 We used 🌴 phylogenomics and 🦴 new fossils to unravel the roles of different regions in generating and distributing species! 🌱 #Evolution

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