Nature Communications (May 2016)

Plate tectonics drive tropical reef biodiversity dynamics

  • Fabien Leprieur,
  • Patrice Descombes,
  • Théo Gaboriau,
  • Peter F. Cowman,
  • Valeriano Parravicini,
  • Michel Kulbicki,
  • Carlos J. Melián,
  • Charles N. de Santana,
  • Christian Heine,
  • David Mouillot,
  • David R. Bellwood,
  • Loïc Pellissier

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11461
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Over a geological timescale, plate tectonics are thought to promote biodiversity, but this link remained descriptive. Here, Leprieur et al. model dynamically how plate tectonics shaped species diversification and movement of hotspots on tropical reefs over the past 140 million years.