Diversity, distributions, and evolution of Rocky Mountain and Andean stream insects
Abstract
Concordant with latitudinal increases in seasonality, the "climate variability hypothesis" (CVH) posits that the breadth of species' thermal tolerances should increase with latitude. Across elevations, the "mountain passes are higher in the tropics hypothesis" (MPHT) postulates that the narrow thermal tolerances of tropical species should limit their dispersal across elevations more than the broad thermal tolerances of temperate species. We consequently expect tropical species to have more limited elevational ranges and higher rates of population isolation, divergence, and speciation than temperate ...