Distributions of mammals in Southeast Asia: the role of the legacy of climate and species body mass

Aim: Current species distributions are shaped by present and past biotic and abiotic factors. Here we assessed whether abiotic factors (habitat availability) in combination with past connectivity and a biotic factor (body mass) can explain the unique distribution pattern of Southeast Asian mammals, which are separated by the enigmatic biogeographic transition zone, the Isthmus of Kra (IoK), for which no strong geophysical barrier exists. Location: Southeast Asia Taxon: Mammals Methods: We projected habitat suitability for 125 mammal species using climate data for the present period and for two historic periods: mid-Holocene (6 kya) and last glacial maximum (LGM 21 kya). Next, we employed a phylogenetic linear model to assess how present species distributions were affected by the suitability of areas in these different periods, habitat connectivity during LGM and species body mass. Results: Our results show that cooler climate during LGM provided suitable habitat south of IoK for species...