**Author details**

Finally, studies undoubtedly need to include detailed research from the field of the genetics of the adaptation to new environments [8, 22]. These studies are useful to understand why some clades diversified extensively after a dispersal or vicariance events and others not. For instance, species widely distributed in archipelagos or species with disjunct distributions will be good candidates for these detailed studies. Information about mechanisms maintaining or disrupting genetic cohesion between populations or lineages is crucial to understand the role

There is a growing interest in establishing the historical causes of biological diversification phenomena. However, we are still far behind to understand the process and mechanisms generating this realized diversification. In this chapter, I discussed some limitations of current methodologies employed to infer how biogeographical events as dispersal and vicariance can promote biological diversification shifts across the evolutionary history of lineages. The majority of studies reviewed here only were able to detect a historical association between a given biogeographic event and shifts in species (or phenotypic) diversification. Although we have established that spatial and temporal changes in diversification rates are modulated by abiotic (e.g., geography and climate) and biotic factors (e.g., food availability, predator presences, and intensity), still there is a lack of understanding about specific mechanisms underlying these historical associations and what factors were important. Furthermore, I have showed that the inference of these historical associations is not a trivial matter and more robust methodologies are necessary to establish a joint inference of biogeographical events and shifts in species diversification. In addition, I outlined specific predictions for evolutionary outcomes after a given biogeographical event which can be tested using current phylogenetic comparative methods and ecologically relevant traits. However, the adoption of phylogenetic methodological approaches will not be sufficient to generate a complete understanding of how species radiated after a given dispersal or vicariance event. Accordingly, traditional ecological and genetic field-based approaches used in speciation studies will be

Funding was provided by a graduate scholarship grant from CONACYT and a postdoctoral research grant from DGAPA at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). My ideas about biogeography and diversification were greatly benefited from discussions with Enrique Martinez Meyer, Oscar Flores Villela, Luna Sanchez Reyes and Mark. E. Olson. Thanks to Mark E. Olson to read several draft versions of this manuscript and for his continu-

ous thoughtful comments. All remaining errors are my own.

of biogeographical events in the generation of biodiversity.

**4. Conclusions**

24 Pure and Applied Biogeography

important here.

**Acknowledgements**

Julián A. Velasco

Address all correspondence to: juvelas@gmail.com

Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Museo de Zoología 'Alfonso L. Herrera', Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico city, Mexico
