Siti N. Othman, Spartak N. Litvinchuk, Irina Maslova, Tatjana Dujsebayeva, Yi-Huey Chen, Xiaoli Zhang, Dallin B. Kohler, Jennifer Hoti, Ming-Feng Chuang, Zoljargal Purevdorj, Yoonhyuk Bae, Kevin R. Messenger, Dmitry V. Skorinov, Hina Amin, Tae Eun Um,1 Mi-Sook Min, Yikweon Jang, Amaël Borzée
iScience 2026; (11): 2-29
Climatic variation across latitude shapes lineage diversification and niche evolution. We integrated multilocus and genome-wide SNPs, morphological characters, historical biogeography, and phylogenetic comparative analyses for 391 sampled individuals representing 21 recognised Rana species across the Palearctic. Time-calibrated total-evidence analyses resolved three major stem lineages originating in the Early Miocene, 22.00 Mya, followed by radiations across East Asia and the central Palearctic. Biogeographic reconstruction supported a northward expansion of the Rana amurensis lineage into Siberia, c. 7.67 Mya, coinciding with relatively warm Arctic conditions. Climate-latitude relationships were weak across Ranidae, but stronger and lineage-dependent in Eastern Palearctic Rana, particularly in relation to monsoon-related climatic variables. Across lineages, broad latitudinal ranges evolved independently in Eurasian Pelophylax ridibundus, R. amurensis, R. dybowskii, and R. temporaria (c. 30.00 Mya), with additional origins in Nearctic Lithobates catesbeianus and L. sylvaticus (c. 12.00 Mya). This homoplasy highlights the influence of climatic transitions on ranid diversification.
