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Paradox of the Cichlids outline of my PhD project. Thijs Janzen Supervisor: Rampal Etienne. Picture courtesy Jen Reynolds. Cichlids. The success of the cichlids. Pharyngeal jaw Mouthbrooding. Barlow 2000. Oliver 2010. The African Rift Lakes. Differences between the lakes. Lake Victoria.
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Paradox of the Cichlidsoutline of my PhD project Thijs Janzen Supervisor: Rampal Etienne Picture courtesy Jen Reynolds
The success of the cichlids • Pharyngeal jaw • Mouthbrooding Barlow 2000
Lake Victoria Lake Tanganyika Lake Malawi
Why should there be more? • Age • Water level • Bathymetry
Waterlevel • Water level changes frequently • King Mwangonde (1820) Owen 1990, Barlow 2000, Salzburger 2002
Why should there be more? • Age • Water level • Bathymetry
Bathymetry Victoria Malawi Tanganyika Talling 1969, Scholz et al. 2007
Water level Water level: 0 m
Water level Water level: -100 m
Water level Water level: -250 m
Water level Water level: -300 m Water level -300 m
Water level Water level: -400 m
Water level Water level: -600 m
Water level Water level: -1000 m
Effects of water level changes • Decrease in lake size • Splitting in proto lakes • Merging of sub-populations after water level rise
Summary of possible causes • Age • Water level • Bathymetry
Research Questions • What external factors determine the differences in biodiversity between the African Rift Lakes? • How does biogeography influence biodiversity?
Approach • Standard neutral model • Influence of environment size • Spatiality • Environmental change • Cyclic environment change • Splitting and merging of communities • Repeated splitting and merging
ApproachTailored model • Check predictions with a tailored version • Correct size of lakes • Include explicit bathymetry • Remodel water level changes
The end • Questions? • Suggestions?
Other stuff to do • Time-scale difference between speciation and environmental change • Interaction between tectonic drift and biodiversity