Mayfly Morphology and DNA Barcoding Data for Latitudinal Biodiversity Study

This dataset integrates morphological data from 6,136 specimens and DNA barcoding data from 1,832 mayfly specimens to test the 'mountain passes are higher in the tropics' hypothesis. It was created by Brian A. Gill and published in 2020, comparing species richness and elevational ranges in the Rocky Mountains (Colorado) and the Andes (Ecuador).

Use Cases

• Analyze the relationship between specimen morphology and DNA barcode data to identify cryptic species diversity.
• Compare species richness and elevational ranges between the Rocky Mountains and Andes regions using the integrated specimen data.
• Test the 'mountain passes are higher in the tropics' hypothesis by examining latitudinal patterns in thermal tolerance proxies from the specimen collection data.

Strengths

• Integrates data from a large sample of 6,136 specimens for morphological analysis.
• Includes DNA barcoding data from a substantial subset of 1,832 specimens for genetic validation.
• Provides a direct comparison of biodiversity across two distinct latitudinal and geographic regions (Colorado and Ecuador).

Limitations

• The dataset is focused on a single insect order (Ephemeroptera), limiting broader taxonomic conclusions.
• Data collection is geographically restricted to two specific mountain ranges, which may not represent global latitudinal gradients.
• The dataset is static with a last update in 2020, and does not reflect ongoing changes in biodiversity or climate.

Provenance

Source

Brian A. Gill via Dryad.

Collection Method

Integrative taxonomy combining morphological examination and DNA barcoding of collected specimens.

Freshness

Last updated 2020-06-30.

Geography

Rocky Mountains (Colorado, USA; approx. 40°N) and Andes (Ecuador; approx. 0°).