Counterintuitive Range Shifts May Be Explained by Climate Induced Changes in Biotic Interactions.

Many organisms are expected to shift their ranges uphill, toward the poles or to deeper waters in response to climate change. However, over a third of species exhibit counterintuitive range shifts-toward the equator, downhill or to shallower waters. Despite the prevalence and potential importance of counterintuitive shifts, they are seldom predicted by the species distribution models on which conservation decisions often rely, and we have remarkably few hypotheses as to why species might exhibit counterintuitive shifts.

Eco-Geography and Phenology Are the Major Drivers of Reproductive Isolation in the Royal Irises, a Species Complex in the Course of Speciation.

The continuous nature of speciation implies that different species are found at different stages of divergence, from no- to complete reproductive isolation. This process and its underlying mechanisms are best viewed in incipient species. Moreover, the species complex can offer unique insight into how reproductive isolation (RI) has evolved.