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THE CONTINENTAL ASIAN ELEMENT IN THE FAUNA OF THE PHILIPPINES AS EXEMPLIFIED BY COLADENIA MOORE, 1881 (LEPIDOPTERA: HESPERIIDAE) 1
Author(s) -
Jong Rienk
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
cladistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.323
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1096-0031
pISSN - 0748-3007
DOI - 10.1111/j.1096-0031.1996.tb00018.x
Subject(s) - fauna , lepidoptera genitalia , archipelago , generality , phylogenetic tree , ecology , biology , geography , psychology , biochemistry , psychotherapist , gene
— The Philippines are an archipelago composed of oceanic islands originating from different island arcs, and a few pieces of continental origin. The continental fragments can be found in N Palawan, the Calamian Islands, W Mindoro and W Panay. This study aims at answering the question whether traces can be found of a terrestrial fauna travelling on these fragments to the east to become part of the Philippine fauna. A phylogenetic analysis of the genus Coladenia (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) based on morphological characters has been carried out. Three methods for detecting distribution patterns have been applied and compared, viz. Page's Tree Reconciliation, Brooks Parsimony Analysis, and a method similar to character optimization and here called Area Optimization. It is concluded that there is evidence of a continental element in the Philippine fauna. The (expected) generality of this pattern can only be demonstrated when more phylogenetic analyses of relevant groups become available.