Phylogeography of the pademelons (Marsupialia: Macropodidae: Thylogale) in New Guinea reflects both geological and climatic events during the Plio-Pleistocene

Abstract

Aim Alternative hypotheses concerning genetic structuring of the widespread endemic New Guinean forest pademelons (Thylogale) based on current taxonomy and zoogeography (northern, southern and montane species groupings) and preliminary genetic findings (western and eastern regional groupings) are investigated using mitochondrial sequence data. We examine the relationship between the observed phylogeographical structure and known or inferred geological and historical environmental change during the late Tertiary and Quaternary