The origination time of the Devils Hole pupfish

Authors: Andrew Martin

Year: 2016 (xlviii)

Abstract

Estimated originated dates for the Devils Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis, based on molecular data vary among studies by almost four-orders of magnitude, from about 100 years to a million years. The uncertainty reflects differences in data, methods, assumptions, and bias among studies. Here, I review the estimates and discuss the uncertainty in the context of why knowledge of origination time is important for understanding and conserving biodiversity.