Elevational Goldilocks zone underlies the exceptional diversity of an Andean lizard radiation (Liolaemus; Liolaemidae)

Mountains are among the most biodiverse regions on the planet, and how these landforms shape diversification through the interaction of biological traits and geo-climatic dynamics is integral to understanding global biodiversity. In this study we investigate the dual roles of climate change and mountain uplift on the evolution of a hyper diverse radiation, Liolaemus lizards, with a spatially explicit model of diversification using a reconstruction of uplift and paleotemperature in central and southern South America. The diversification model captures a hotspot for Liolaemus around 40°S in lineages with low dispersal ability and narrow niche breadths. Under the model, speciation rates are highest in low latitudes (<35°S) and mid-elevations (~1000m), while extinction rates are highest at higher latitudes (>35°S) and higher elevations (>2000m). Temperature change through the Cenozoic explained variation in speciation and extinction rates through time and across different elevation...